In December 1951, through the efforts of people of 'goodwill,' the Institution 'Amigos dos Pequeninos' (Friends of the Little Ones) was founded, and it was approved by the Order of December 20 of the same year, a fact that would be published in the Government Gazette No. 297 on 12/27/1951.

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The city of Silves, at the time, was a socio-economically deprived area, which touched the hearts of an initial group of four individuals, who, despite lacking specific training, were driven to provide food, hygiene care, and all necessary goods to disadvantaged children, aiming to build a better world.

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The foundation of this Private Institution of Social Solidarity (I.P.S.S.) marked an important milestone in the society of Silves, providing weekly medical assistance to children and their mothers, organizing summer camps, and offering essential items and clothing to families during the Christmas season.

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In 1973, the educational and pedagogical component was introduced with the creation of the socio-educational Kindergarten program and the hiring of the first Early Childhood Educator on the staff. However, it was during the 1980s that the Institution saw the greatest development in terms of infrastructure and human resources in response to the increasing number of enrollments.As for infrastructure, there was an expansion in the number of rooms for the Nursery and Preschool programs, as well as the creation of the After-School Care program (C.A.T.L.), the construction of a gym and swimming pool, and improvements to the outdoor spaces.

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The investment of the Institution Amigos dos Pequeninos de Silves in Early Childhood Intervention began in October 2001 with the "Quebra-Nozes" Project – "Ser-Criança" Program, which arose from the need to find local solutions for supporting families with children with disabilities or those at risk of severe developmental delays. This project concluded in September 2004.

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After that date, the Institution focused on creating another social response so that the Early Intervention Program (I.P.I.) would no longer be just a project. Thus, in December 2004, "Bem Crescer" was established, with the signing of an atypical Cooperation Agreement for the I.P.I. social response, in line with the guidelines of Joint Dispatch No. 891/99, published in the Diário da República, I Series, No. 244, on October 19, 1999. This social response operated until December 13, 2010, following those guidelines.

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With the enactment of Decree-Law No. 281/2009 on October 6, the National Early Intervention System in Childhood (SNIPI) was created. New Cooperation Agreements/Protocols were then signed between the Institution and the Ministries of Labor and Social Solidarity, Health, and Education, leading to the establishment of the Local Intervention Team of Portimão (ELI – Portimão), which serves as the local level of intervention for SNIPI, according to what is stated in Article 7 of Decree-Law 281/2009 of October 6. The ELI covers the municipalities of Silves, Monchique, Lagoa, and Portimão, in which the Institution Amigos dos Pequeninos de Silves, with the Early Childhood Intervention social response "Bem Crescer," is currently an integral part.

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Today, we continue to take pride in the vision that those "good-hearted" individuals once had, which has guided us to the evolving provision of social responses that we hope will continue to develop qualitatively, moving towards an ever-brighter future.